Hinged claw watch bracelets



Oct. 2, 1956 A. DoERwALD HINGED cLAw wA'rcH BRAcELETs Filed Sept. 2, 1954 HINGED CLAW wArcr-r nRAcELErs Albert Doerwald, Great Neck, N. Y., assignor to Benrus Watch Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 2, 1954, Serial No. 453,859

6 Ciaims. (Cl. 224-4) This invention relates to watch bracelets and relates more particularly to watch bracelets of the hinged claw or talon type.

The prime object of the present invention centers about certain improvements in hingedly mounting the opposite talons or claws on the casing of a watch to produce a novel hinged ciaw or hinged talon watch bracelet.

In a common form of this type of watch bracelet, the opposite arms or claws making up the bracelet are hingedly mounted on the lugs or ears extending from opposite sides of the watch casing by means of spring hinge structures, certain Springs of which are active for biasing the claws to contracted or wrist encircling position, other springs being usually employed to enable detachable mounting of the claws on the watch casing lugs. All the forms of this type known to me are relatively complicated in mechanical design, being made up of too many parts for the simple functions which they serve; and generally these do not readily permit simple disassembling steps either for repair or replacement of parts.

In carrying out the prime object of the present invention, I provide a spring hinge watch bracelet of the type referred to, characterized by the following structural and functional features:

1. The spring hinge structure consists of a self-contained unit which detachably links the claw or talon to the lugs of the watch casing. This spring hinge unit is removably attachable as a unit to the claw or talon and functions also to removably attach the claw or talon to the watch casing lugs. 'The relation of this spring hinge unit to both the claw and the casing lugs is so simple that the user may readily make the attachment and detachment, thereby enabling the wearer to interchange differently styled or ornamented claws to suit or match his or her dress or general taste, as well as to replace worn or discardable bracelet claws with new ones; and

2. The spring hinge self-contained unit itself comprises a very simple organization of parts. In this unit a single spring is made to serve the dual purpose of resiliently hinging the claw for its contracting wrist encircling action and of detachably resiliently seating the claw in the watch casing lugs.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing objects, and to such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my vinvention relates to the hinged claw watch bracelet as sought to be defined in the appended claims taken together with the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Pig. 1 is a perspective view of a hinged claw type of Watch bracelet embodying the structure of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view thereof on an enlarged scale taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 3-3 of F ig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view with parts shown in section depicting :the members composing the self-contained Fatented Oct. 2, 19,56

spring hinge unit which is a feature of the present in- Vention; and

Fig. 5 is a view of the self-contained spring hinge unit in assembled relation with parts shown -in crosssection.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings the watch bracelet combination of the present inventon comprises a watch case W provided with opposed bracelet attachment lugs, opposite claw or talon bracelet sections C, C attached to the casing lugs and a spring hinge structure H for each of the claw sections constructed for detachably and hingedly mounting the opposite claw sections on the casing lugs, the spring hinge structure H consisting of a self-contained unit as is most clearly depicted in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the said self-contained unit being constructed so that it is removably attachable as a unit to the claw or talon section C and designed also to function for removably attaching the claw or talon to the watch casing lugs.

The watch casing W may be any conventional wrist- Watch casing of the type provided with the opposed attachment lugs w and 12 for each of the opposite sides of the watch casing, the said lugs being as usual provided respectively with the hinge pintle orifices 14 and 15. The watch casing W differs from the conventional structure only in that the lugs 12, 12 are each additionally formed with an elongated and preferably rectangular slot 16 open at one end, such as at the lug bottom, for receiving a key part of the hinge structure, as hereinafter described.

The talons or claws C, C comprise arms adapted for hinged connection to the watch case lugs, and for detachably encircling the wrist of the user, said arms being suitably ornamented as by the provision of inserted leather or metal sections 18, the claws being of conventional construction except for the provision at the hinging end thereof of a part which is adapted to keyingly (fixedly) and detachably receive the spring hinge unit H, said part comprising, for example, an irregularly, such as an hexagonal, shaped end 20 open at its opposite ends and forming a housing for the reception of the hinge structure H.

The spring hinge structure H, as is most clearly and separately shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, comprises a unit made up of a container or bar housing 22 provided at one end with a pivot pin 24 afiixed thereto and at 'its other end with a key pin 26 mounted on the bar honsing for both rotatable and axial movement relative thereto, as indicated, respectively, by the arrows 28 and 30 in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The pivot pin 24 is adapted to be seated in the pintle orifices 14 in the lug 10 at one side of the watch casing, and the key pin 26 is provided at its outer end with an irregularly, such as a rectangularly, shaped key portion 32 terminating in a pin portion 34, the key portion 32 being adapted to be inserted in and received by the rectangular slot 16, while the terminal pin portion 34 is adapted to be received by the pintle orifice 15 in the lug 12 at the other side of the watch casing. The unit H further includes a spring 36 contained in the housing 22, one end 38 of which is fixedly anchored to said housing and the other end 40 of which is anchored to an enlarged and cylindrical section 42 of the key pin 26, the said spring acting as a torsion spring for biasing the rotative movement of the bar housing with reference to the key pin 26 (when the latter is held in fixed position) and acting as a compression spring for biasing the axial movement of the key pin 26 toward its outward position, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

'Ihe bar housing 22 is given an external form so that it may be keyed to the claw end 20 when inserted thereinto; and for this purpose in the form shown in the drawings the bar housing 22 is made hexagonal in cross-section (as best shown in Fig. 3). The spring hinge selfcontained 'unit H comprises but three elements, the bar housing 22, the spring 35 and the key pin 26, as is best shown in Pig. 4 of the drawings. These parts are assembled together by insertingithe springi into the housing 22, anchoring the end of the spring to the housing and by then inserting the key With the erziarged portion 42 moved into thehousing While atithe samev time anchoring the spring end 41? to the key pin; After this the inturned end 44 of the housing is inbent against the enlarged portion 42 of the key pin to retain the key pin in position for its rotative and axiai inover ts as described.

The use and operation of the g hinge structure and the composite watch braceiet the present invention, oliows:

and the advantages thereof, are collectivehI f As stated, the spring hinge H is a s' cd unit which itself comprses a very simple orL` For detachabiy attaching a claw C to larly detachable frorn) either end of the claw housing 2%. The hinge unit with the claw suspended therefrom is then mounted on the watch lugs by engaging the pivot pin Zi and the key pin 26 in the mating parts of the opposite lugs 19 and E2, the key pin being forced in against the expansion action of the spring 36 for this purpose, the key pin being aiso incrementally rotated to piace the spring 35 under torsion. The torsional action of the spring biases the hinged movement of the claw Sections to the Wrist eneirciing position shown in full lines in Fig. l of L'ne dra'vvings, and the compression action of the spring biases the parts for seating the claw in the Watch casing lugs. The single spring thereby acts in this dual capacity The ciaws C, C are movable against the torsional action of the spring between the fuil and the dash-dot positions shown in Pig. 1 of the drawings. The parts may be readily disassembled in the reverse manncr. The use of a self-contaiued hinge structure With its simple reinovabe reiation to the claw and its attachable relation to the watch case lugs is such that the user may readily make the attachment and detachment, thereby enabliug the Wearer to quickly interchange ditferentiy styled or ornamented claws to suit or match ones dress or general taste, as Well as to repiace Worn or discardabie bracelet ciaws with new ones.

lt Will be apparent that many changes rnay be rnade in the structure disclosed Without departing from the spirit of the invention described in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A hinged claw watch bracelet combination comprising a Watch casing provided with opposed bracelet attachment lugs, a claw bracelet section, and a spring hinge structure for detachably and hingedly mounting the claw section on the casing lugs comprising a pivot pin fixed to one side of the attachable end of said claw section and adapted to be rotatably seated in one of said lugs, and a key pin on the other side of said attachable claw end mounted for rotatable and axial movement relative thereto and having means adapted to be fiXedly seated in the other of said lugs, and a spring anchored at one end fixedly with reference to said claw section and anchored at the other end to the key pin, said spring acting dually for biasing the rotative movement of the claw with reference to the lug fixed key pin for resiliently hinging the claw section on the casing lugs and for biasing the axial movement of the key pin for detachably seating the claw section in saidlugs.

2. A hinged claw watch bracelet combination comprising aV watch casing provided with opposed bracelet attachment lugs, a claw bracelet section, and a spring hinge bar for detachably and hingedly mounting the claw section on the casing lugs comprising a self-contained unit removably attachable to said claw section and fixed to the claw section When attached thereto including a bar housing, a pivot pin fixcd to one side end or of the bar housing and adapted to be rotatably seated in one of said lugs, and a key pin on the other side of the bar housing mounted for rotatable and axial movement relative thereto and having means adapted to be fixedly seated in the other of said lugs, and a spring in said housing anchored at one end fixedly with reference to said housing and anchored at the other end to the key pin, said spring acting dually for biasing the rotative movement of the bar housing with reference to the lugfixed key pin for resiliently hinging the claw section on the casing lugs and for biasing the axial movement of the key pin for detachably seating the bar housing and the claw section in said lugs.

3. A hinged claw Watch bracelet combination comprising a watch casing provided With opposed bracelet attachment lugs, a claw bracelet section, and a spring hinge bar for detachably and hingedly mounting the claw section on the casing lugs comprising a self-contained unit removably attachable to said claw section and fixed to the claw section when attached thereto including a pivot pin fixed to one side of said bar and adapted to be rotatably seated in one of said lugs, and a key pin on the other side of said bar mounted for rotatable and axial movement relative thereto and having means adapted to be fixedly seated in the other of said lugs, and a spring anchored at one end fixedly to said bar and anchored at the other end to the key pin, said springV acting as a torsion spring for biasing the rotative movement of the bar with reference to the lug-fixed key pin for resiliently hinging the claw section on the casing lugs and acting as a compression spring for biasing the axial movement of the key pin for detachably seating the bar end and the claw section in said lugs.

4. For use in a hinged claw watch bracelet of the type having a watch casing provided with opposed bracelet attachment lugs and a claw bracelet section hingedly mounted thereon, of a spring hinge structure for detachably and hingedly mounting the claw section on the casing lugs comprising a self-contained unit removably attachable to said claw section and fixed to the claw section when attached thereto including a pivot pin fixed to one side of said unit and adapted to be rotatably seated in one of said lugs, and a key pin on the other side of said unit mounted for rotatable and axial movement relative thereto and having means adapted to be fixedly seated Vin the other of said lugs, and a spring anchored at one end fiXedly to said unit and anchored at the other end to the key pin, said spring acting dually for biasing the rotative movement of said unit With reference to the lug-fixed key pin for resiliently hinging the claw section on the casing lugs and for biasing the axial movement of the key pin for detachably seating the unit and the claw section in said lugs.

5. For use in a hinged claw watch bracelet of the type having a watch casing provided With opposed bracelet attachment lugs and a claw bracelet section hingedly mounted thereon, of a spring hinge structure for detachabiy and hingedly mounting the claw section on vthe casing lugs comprising a self-contained unit removably attachable to said claw section and fixed to the claw section when attached thereto `including a bar housing, a pivot pin fixed to one side of said bar housing and adapted to be rotatably seated in one of said lugs, and a key pin on the other side of said bar housing mounted for rotatable and axial movement relative thereto and having means adapted to be fixedly seated in the other of said lugs, and a spring anchored at one end fixedly to said bar housing andanchored at the other end to the key pin, saidrspring acting dually for biasing the rotative movement of said bar housing with reference to the lug-fixed key pin for resiliently hinging the claw section on the casing lugs and for biasing the axial movement of the key pin for detachably seating the bar housing and the claw setion in said lugs.

6. For use in a hinged claw watch bracelet of the 'type having a watch casing provided with opposed bracelet attachment lugs and a claw bracelet section hingedly mounted thereon, of a spring hinge structure for detachably and hngedly mounting the claw section on the casing lugs compn'sing a self-contained unit removably attachable to said claw section and fixed to the claw section When attached thereto including a bar housing, a pivot pin fixed to one side of said bar housing and adapted to be rotatably seated in one of said lugs, and a key pin on the other side of said bar housing mounted for rotatable and axial movement relative thereto and having means adapted to be fixedly seated in the other of said lugs, and a spring in said housing anchored at one end fixedly to the housing and anchored at the other end to the key pin,

said spring acting as a torsion spring for biasing the rotative movement of said bar housing with reference to the lng-fixed key pin for resiliently hinging the claw section on the casing lugs and acting as a compression spring for biasing the axial movement of the key pin for detachably seating the bar housing and the claw section in said lugs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,009,253 Feid et al July 23, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 251,199 Switzerland Aug. 2, 1948 

